Take a Chance
by luvme123
Summary: Souske jokes with Rin one day that Nitori looks like a girl, and warns him that if he doesn't take a chance on him, he might. Rintori


**I saw a thing on Tumblr and I just had to do my own thing with it like omg. ****So yeah.**

"You know," Souske was watching the Samezuka team carefully, observing practice, his eyes squinted thoughtfully. Rin sighs and turns his head to his friend next to him, knowing he was going to speak no matter what. "I've been watching Nitori train for the last half an hour, but I can't get it out of my head how small he looks compared to everyone; look at him,"

Rin looks over to where the second year was standing, looking at the times a teammate had recorded for him with a beaming face. Souske was right - he was smaller than the others, always has been - but he had no idea what that had to do with anything. "...So?..."

"And he looks rather girly as well," Souske adds, and Rin instantly knows he's lost his friend in his fantasies - the damn idiot was always thinking about one gender or the other, deciding which person he wanted to fuck. Not that he blamed him, though; you could get by with anybody with his body. "He looks...cute."

"So you're saying you want to fuck him." It's no more a statement than it is a question, but Rin's words make him sick to his stomach.

Souske laughs. "Well, I'd be up for it if he wasn't so head-over-heels for someone else," He says, patting Rin on the shoulder.

"Huh? I don't think I've even seen Nitori smitten with anybody before, who is it?"

Souske laughs again. "You really _are_ oblivious, aren't you? The others were taking bets to see if you really didn't know, or if you were ignoring it on purpose."

"What?" Rin glares at Souske, who was still laughing at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Nitori's smitten with_ you_, you idiot."

"Huh?"

"Everyone can see it, man," Souske says as if it's obvious, "He's always on you, always trying to impress you - hell, he took up a second stroke even though he hadn't mastered his primary stroke so he could be just like you. Everyone knows he's got a thing for you."

"No, there's no way," Rin says, trying to deny everything that he knew to be true. "Ai is not in love with me, I would have known by now if he was - we _did_ room together for a year."

"You're just a dumbass." Souske says, leaning back on the bench they were on. "Oh, and another interesting thing you didn't know; the rest of the team made a pact to not go after Nitori because they were hoping you'd get your head out of your ass and notice."

"Wha-"

"Because we all know they see how sweet and dedicated he'd be. And it would be a shame to see him just go around unloved forever, wouldn't it?"

"What are you trying to get a-"

"Matsuoka-senpai! Look at my times for today, look! I'm officially higher than Momo-san again in times!"

"That's good, Ai, but Momo swims a completely different stroke, you shouldn't worry about that," Rin says, taking the time sheet from Ai with a blush as their fingers touch.

"But you know, if you don't take a shot at him, maybe I will," Souske whispers, standing. "Yo! Arai, get on the block, let me time you!"

"Wh-what was that all about?.." Ai asks, his head cocking to the side like a confused puppy. "When Yamazaki-senpai said 'if you don't-'"

"It's nothing, don't worry about it. Anyways, your times are looking great! Just try to get your breast time down a little bit, because you might be against Nagisa during your race and his time is just a few seconds lower. You _should_ be fine if you can do that and keep the time at a constant. Ok?"

"Yes, Senpai!" Ai bows respectfully and Rin hands him the paper back with a soft smile. _I guess I can see why they think he likes me..._

"Alright everyone! Hit the showers and get some rest, we have an early practice tomorrow with the Iwatobi team so I wanna see you here bright and early!" He yells, sliding his jacket off. While the others file out, Rin gets on a block and dives in, unaware of the person on the other side of the pool until he's finished his warm-up laps. "Ai, I thought I said to get some rest."

"Ah!" Ai stops mid-lap, treading water as he stutters out, "I- I'm sorry, senpai, I meant to listen, but you told me to get my time down right before practice ended and I wanted to see if I could get in a few laps before tomorrow so I could get my time down when I have someone time me...if that makes sense..." Ai blushes, yelling from his spot on the lane all the way across the pool. His words echo the walls, and Rin looks around. He could confront Ai about what Souske said, if he wanted; they were alone.

"You need someone to time you?"

"N-no! I'm just getting used to the speed increase right now. The times would be so inconsistent, it's fine really."

"Alright, if you say so..." Rin says, about to turn his attention back to his own training when an idea pops into his head. "Say, you don't have to be so shy; come over here, so I can at least watch your progress."

"A-are you sure, senpai? I don't want to intrude while you practice..."

"We're both practicing," Rin shrugs, "So why not?"

Ai grins at Rin before swimming to the edge of the pool and joining him in the next lane over. As Rin positions himself on the block to start his actual training, he looks over and studies Ai carefully. The younger boy was also positioned at the block, pulling his glasses down in preparation to dive in, and as he does, Rin notices the lack of masculine structure in his jawline and how small his face was. It was strange, but now that Souske had mentioned it, he couldn't get the image of Ai as a female out of his head. _He really looks like a girl..._

Rin sighs and pulls his own goggles over his eyes, diving in.

_No sense in over-thinking it...Ai's a boy, it's simple._

/

"You did great again, Matsuoka-senpai," Ai gushes as Rin touches the wall again, pressing the timer on the stopwatch. "Just a few seconds over your all-time record!"

"I'm going to try hitting it before the pool closes, then I'll leave; you can go, if you want." Rin grunts as he pulls himself up. Ai had given up his own practice when he thought he'd had enough for the day an hour ago, and had started timing Rin.

"I'm fine. I like spending time with senpai," Ai says lightly with a blush. He kicks his feet, which were dangling in the water below, and looks uo to see Rin staring at him, which makes him blush more. "Uh- ready?"

"Y-yeah..." Rin shakes his head to clear his thoughts and gets ready to dive.

"Ok; ready...set...go!" Ai smiles as Rin dives in, and presses the stopwatch as he enters the water.

"Good job, senpai!"

/

Rin had called his own practice, and Ai had followed him into the locker room to change. The younger boy was at his locker, pulling a pair of underwear on under his towel when the feeling of being watched creeps up his neck - and he knows Rin was staring at him, but he doesn't say anything.

He finishes dressing quickly, flushed, and goes to wait by the door for Rin.

"I-I'll wait for you so we can walk ba-back t-together." Ai stutters, yelling over his shoulder. He plays aimlessly on his phone, back pressed against the wall, until Rin appears a minute later, dressed in sweatpants and a tight tank top. It was his usual wear, just like most of the team, but it made Ai gulp as he slid his phone into his own sweatpants pockets.

"Thanks for waiting." Rin says, blushing as he looked Ai in the eyes.

"It would have been lonely to walk there alone, for both of us, and I thought it would be nice to walk with someone that wasn't begging me for a piggyback ride the whole timefor once." Ai says, smiling his bright smile and they start the walk across campus to the dorm rooms.

Rin smiles at his words, not because Ai wanted to walk home with him, but because this was one of the first times Ai hadn't stuttered during normal conversation with him. "Momo?"

"Yeah..." Ai sighs. "I love him, he's like a brother, but he's...Momo."

Ai giggles and Rin grins. He was joking with him. This was new...and interesting.

Rin watches as Ai laughs, seeing his eyes light up and how _very_ blue they were in the dark of the setting sun.

"S-senpai?" Ai's voice shakes Rin out of his reverie, and he smiles down at his kouhai sweetly, trying not to scare him off. "Y-you're staring at me again..."

"Huh-"

"I tried not to mention it earlier," Ai blushes as he speaks, and Rin notices the slight definition in his cheekbones. "In case I was just imagining it, but you've been staring at me since team practice ended...is there something wrong?"

"N-nothing, nothing's wrong," Rin says, and he flushes in embarrassment.

"Are you sure?.."

"Well-" Rin curses as the word slips from his mouth. _I'm not going to ask him if he likes me, that'd be weird! "_Well, uh- Souske said during practice that-that you looked ill, and was worried you'd been over-working yourself, so I said I'd keep an eye on you...

"Oh," Ai says, and adds with a growing blush, "That's strange; I've been feeling better than ever lately! In fact, I've been relaxing more about my life. I'm usually so jumpy, and I know you've all noticed...It feels good to just relax..."

"Y-yeah..." Rin just nods. _Shit shit shit, he better not say he likes me. I don't know whether I'd kiss him or punch him in the face yet..._

"I-I just don't want people to think they've done anything wrong, because no one has. Everyone's been so nice, especially you, Matsuoka-senpai."

_He definitely likes me. I've been a total dick to him and he's telling me I've been nice to him..._

"N-no I haven't..." Rin tries to play the modesty card.

"But you have," Ai gushes, eyes gleaming as he relives his time rooming with Rin, "You always helped me with my homework, and my training, and let me accompany you on runs, or trips to Iwatobi...You were my best friend."

Ai smiles shyly and Rin nearly crumbles in exasperation.

_So now I'm his best friend?.. I'm so confused, maybe I should just ask him..._

"Th-thanks, I guess, but that's- that's what normal friends do for each other."

"Oh." Ai blushes. "Well, I didn't have many friends up until you - so I still count you as my best friend."

They continue in silence until they're only a few yards away from the dorms and Rin curses himself as he stops Ai right before they hit the light surrounding the steps.

"Ok, so that wasn't the only thing Souske said." Rin admits. "He also said something that's been making me question myself, and think back to when we roomed together, and I've been trying to get the answer myself, but you're making it impossible."

"What? I don't understand, senpa-"

"Ai, do you like me?"

"Of course I do! Why do you ask?"

"No, Ai, I mean romantically. Do you like me romantically?"

"I thought it was obvious?..Of course I do." Ai blushes at Rin. "Do...do you like me?"

Rin thinks. He didn't know for sure yet if he did, but he was willing to take a shot at it. Before Souske did, so he had a chance. "Yeah. Yeah, I like you."

"O-oh."

"So..." Rin pulls an arm over Ai's shoulder and starts walking again towards the dorms. "I guess that means you wanna go on a date then?.."

"O-only if you want to..."

"I definitely want to. Pick you up at noon tomorrow?"

"I-I don't know, senpai," Ai suddenly frowns, "I-I don't really have any money to go out right now..."

"It's a date, Ai. I pay for you."

"...Fine. But only if I get to next time."

"So there's gonna be a next time?.."

"There better be," Ai says, "I-I'd like it if there were..."

"So would I."

Rin smiles down at Ai, already planning what he was going to do with Ai the next day. _You're definitely worth the shot, Nitori Aiichirou,_ He thinks to himself as Ai goes on like nothing had happened, which he was glad about._ Definitely worth the shot..._


End file.
